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Jenny Du

January 19, 2018 - 3:00pm

McCullough 115

Apeel Sciences: The Intersection of Science, Entrepreneurship, and Meaningful Work

Dr. Jenny Du

Abstract: Apeel Sciences draws inspiration from Nature to develop materials that may be applied to fresh fruits and vegetables pre- and post-harvest to mitigate decay due to abiotic and biotic stressors. Apeel’s first product, EdipeelTM, offers superior performance and benefits over traditional waxes and other edible coatings. Notably, EdipeelTM has been able to extend post-harvest shelf-life by 1.5 to 3-fold and better maintain produce quality and nutrient density, without reliance on refrigeration (i.e., without requiring a “cold chain”) or controlled atmosphere storage.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 45 % of fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown are wasted globally. By reducing post-harvest losses and waste, EdipeelTM can positively impact the challenges of providing food security for a growing global population and minimizing the environmental impacts of agriculture.

Bio: Jenny earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Chemistry and her PhD in Chemistry from Queen’s University (Kingston, ON, Canada) where, during her graduate studies, she was awarded an Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in recognition of her research work. Following completion of her doctoral degree, she joined the Chemistry Department at UCSB as a postdoctoral researcher where she worked for 2 years prior to joining Apeel Sciences as the Director of Extraction Engineering. She is now the Vice President of Operations at Apeel Sciences, where she is responsible for leading the company’s efforts in Regulatory Affairs & Compliance, Facilities, Supply Chain & Logistics, IT, and EH&S.